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"Split the JCP" proposal

Stephen Colebourne has proposed that Oracle split the Java Community Process into core and ecosystem organisations with Oracle retaining control of the core parts of Java while the surrounding JSR (Java Specification Requests) are handled by a newly independent body.

Colebourne is the developer behind Joda Time which lead to him leading JSR 310, but was speaking personally as he is concerned that the Oracle and IBM agreement to reform the Java standards may only lead to a two company dominated Java. He sees a split JCP as a compromise proposal, but one which all parties, specifically Oracle and the Apache Software Foundation, could agree on.

Colebourne's call was described as "This is the start of a great proposal" by Simon Phipps, ex-Sun Chief Open Source Officer and now ForgeRock employee and OSI board member, who hopes that "it receives recognition, serious consideration and a response from Oracle". Geir Magnusson Jr, a director at the Apache Software Foundation, commented saying he was circulating a similar idea within Apache's internal member lists and discussing it with other JCP Executive Committee (EC) members. Whether any of the JCP EC group will bring forward this or a similar proposal is, though, currently unclear.